The Spider's Wife
by raincaster
Summary: Oh the webs we mortals weave...


**AN: I'm combining universes of TV, comics, and movies, and making my own character reflection. Blame The Amazing****Spiderman movie. Like so many others, I had been fooled into thinking the Mary Jane was Peter's first girlfriend. So when I first saw Gwen I was like "Who is this blonde girl?" So I did some research and it made me want to write this for Mary Jane, who I now see is not the damsel in distress that the 2002 trilogy made her out to be. The writing is choppier then I'm used to… opinions would be nice. **

The Spider's Wife

What webs we mortals weave. They are seemingly fragile messes that are so tangled up that we can never look back to where the delicate strands began or look ahead to where they may end. We tend to get caught in these surprisingly strong, sticky threads and so do the ones we love the most. We fight alongside them as they fight beside us, determined to not allow the other to fall victim to the beautiful, but lethal designs. We can't help but to get caught in the webs though, for with the webs are the joyful moments of love, friendship, and bravery. We cannot live without these webs we weave, no matter how complicated or doomed they may seem to be.

That's the lesson I have learned from life. That's the lesson that came from being the Spider's wife.

I would like to say it began with Mom leaving my father. She had finally had enough of his abuse, gathered enough of her courage, and took us with her. Then we three had to live somewhere, and Aunt Anna was by far the most caring of our relatives that took us in. It would be Aunt Anna's and her friend May's plotting that would lead me to Peter Parker.

I strangely found Peter's nerdish charm attractive. It would be my party girl mask (which was by then as natural as my natural face) that would lead me to deliver that now too famous line: "Face it, Tiger. You just hit the jackpot."

Gwen and Harry were friends of Peter's, so naturally they became my friends too. Gwen disappeared to Europe for most of the year. Soon I could tell that Peter liked and missed Gwen. Gwen liked and missed Peter. Harry liked me. I would go out with either guy for a date. I liked them both as friends, but I was sure that I didn't _like_ either of them. It was a weird rectangle in a never- ending web that' always being spun.

Peter's uncle Ben had died before we had been formally introduced. So I really didn't have any before behavior to compare with when it came to Peter. Gwen had been worried though, so I paid close attention. That was why one night I saw Peter jumping out his two story bedroom window in a red and blue suit of spandex.

My mind whirled. There had been a new masked vigilante swinging around New York City catching look alike criminals in webbing. A red and blue masked vigilante that was calling himself Spiderman. Peter had just jumped out his two story widow dressed in red and blue spandex suit. Threads were connecting and I made my own conclusion.

_Oh we're all in trouble_.

Caption Stacy, Gwen's dad, died. Then Gwen herself died. I would like to separate the two but I really can't. First the Caption dies, and I find out later that his dying wish would be for Peter to keep away from Gwen, to keep her safe. Peter tried to keep the promise, really he did. But he didn't. He was hurting both Gwen and himself too much (and therefore hurting Harry and me). So the Caption didn't get his dying wish.

Gwen would die a year later, when the Green Goblin tossed her off the bridge. I would find out later that it was Peter's attempt to save her that killed her. Her neck snapped, Peter's web causing the whiplash. I watched him as he stood off to the side, waiting for Gwen's family to finish saying their final goodbyes. When they drove off, Peter approached the grave. I watched him approach the grave and suddenly collapse on his knees. I watched as sobs took over his body and he lay down in the fresh dirt with his messy brown hair brushing against the cold marble stone. I watched, allowing my own tears to fall. I watched and promised the grieving, guilt filled young man to always be by his side. I would be there when he needed me. I had already left my sister to her fate, raising her young family on her own. I would not abandon someone I loved again. And I loved Peter; I was not in love with him, but I loved him nevertheless. I would be there for Peter Parker, whether he was a sweet, nerdy student or a bold and daring hero.

Norman Osborne, Harry's dad, died. Harry vowed revenge on Spiderman while the three of us were at the gravesite. Then he hugged Peter and me, commenting on what good friends we were. I watched Peter's face, clearly trying not to give away anything that may help Harry make the connection. I didn't believe it. I couldn't believe Peter, even as Spiderman, would kill Norman Osborne. Not even if he had been the Green Goblin. There was something more going on in this tangled mess. Harry turned to drugs. I couldn't continue being his girlfriend while he was under the influence. Certainly not while Harry was refusing any type of help. I was being pushed away.

Spiderman left for a while. Crime rose once more. Less supervillians, but more "normal" human criminals came out once they heard the web-slinger had disappeared. New York City missed its champion.

Crime continued to rise. Only this time, the criminals began to show interesting methods to carry out their plans. The city cried out for help and Spiderman answered their call. Doc Ock in particular stands out in my memory. Then again, he was the first of the many villains to come that I would help Peter bring to justice. Never underestimate the power of the high heel shoe. I even got to set one's clothes on fire.

As time went on though, some idiot decided to use me as a damsel in distress. I hated the fact that it worked. However, the victory kiss that came after… I still don't know what had come over me as I slowly peeled Spiderman's mask off until it reached the tip of his nose. A part of me hesitated, knowing exactly who I was about to kiss. Was Peter still grieving Gwen? A part of me was still grieving for her. So why was I doing what I was doing? That thought process didn't stop me though as I finally gave in, the both of us ignoring the pouring rain. And when the moment was over and Spiderman used his webbing to pull himself up and away from me, I couldn't help the wide, slap happy grin on my face. Laughter came forth as I tasted the cold rain. I had just kissed a hero. Not just any hero, but one that happened to be a dear friend. I think this was when I realized that somehow I had fallen in love with Peter Parker.

Then the second Green Goblin came and Venom happened. Spiderman changed from his iconic red and blue to pitch black. For the first time I found myself afraid of Peter and what he could do. A poison had taken over him, feeding off his own hate and desires. Harry revealed himself as the next Green Goblin and found out Peter was Spiderman and truths and lies were weaved together until I could barely tell which was which. Harry's father had been the Green Goblin. The Green Goblin had offered Spiderman friendship, which was refused. The Green Goblin had killed Gwen in return. In return Spiderman had killed the Green Goblin, who had been Harry's father. Harry's father killed himself when his attempt to kill Peter backfired on him.

I knew something else, another piece to the sticky truth that mattered in the whole web of things, but I didn't speak up. It wasn't the time or place. Peter was fighting darkness within and without and Harry was trying to avenge his father. Somewhere in all this Peter punched me. Me.

The logical part of me when that happened told me to run. Run as far as I could and not look back. To run away so I wouldn't be trapped, but I had already been caught. I had promised as I saw Peter break down at Gwen's tombstone that I would be there for him. So when I saw Peter's eyes on me, no longer cold and calculating but scared and vulnerable, I stayed. When the words that came out of his mouth _help me_ came out desperate and not taunting, I fought beside him. Somehow, truth prevailed. Harry saw his friend Peter, not the vigilante Spiderman, and fought with us too. Somehow, Harry came to his senses and saw what his father had been and what had really happened to result in his death. With Harry and I beside Peter and the vibrating of the chapel's bells, venom fled. Peter now knew I knew his secret and so I let him into my own world of family troubles. We had no more masks with each other. And Peter, my sweet and nerdy Tiger, was back.

Time passed. Peter proposed to me the first time and I turned him down. Harry married Liz and they had little Normie. Peter and I gave each other space and dated other people. I cringed in jealousy as Spiderman had his thing with the Black Cat. Really Peter, a cat burglar? Really?

I don't remember what made Harry forget the peace he had made concerning his father's death, but before I knew it, a Green Goblin was after Spiderman. Again. However, when it counted most, and all of us- Liz, Normie, Peter, and I- were in danger from his revenge attempts, Harry came through once more. He got Liz, Normie, and me out of harm's way before he realized that his best male friend was still in trouble and went back after him. And save Peter Harry did, but as a result he died. Harry's last words to Peter were that they would always be friends, brothers even. I can still hear Peter's cries…

Too many deaths, far too many. Far too many trapped in this crazy web.

Peter proposed again. This time I said yes. A fairy tale really, the girl gets the hero... or so it would seem. Peter's life as Spiderman put a strain on our marriage, far greater then what I had predicted. My temper was hot and quick and Peter was just plain stubborn. I still helped my husband in his battles though. I now had twin bracelets that acted as web shooters. I even got a gun, though Peter wasn't exactly thrilled with the concept.

I have no clue how Norman Osborne survived. I really don't. But somehow he did. And Peter would find this out when he met Sarah and Gabriel Stacy. And tangled secrets would come undone once more. I confessed what I probably should have told him before Gwen was killed. Sarah and Gabriel were her and Norman's children (explaining her sudden trip to Europe). Gwen had told me about the whole mess and begged me with tears in her eyes not to tell Peter. So I didn't. And after she died, I couldn't bring myself to say anything that would taint his image of the girl he loved, probably more so then he would ever love me. But after a pair of twins claiming to be children of Peter's and wanting to kill him for the death of their mother come storming into the scene, it was time for me to tell the truth.

It's amazing and extremely creepy. They should be only around five years of age, but thanks to goblin blood they're physically mature adults. Sarah believed Peter when he told them the truth about Gwen, but Gabriel was a typical Osborne and refused to see sense. Gabriel went missing. Sarah stayed with us and found out that her body and mind were in danger due to her goblin blood. She was aging far too fast and her mind to rapidly sinking into insanity. Peter offered up his blood to stabilize Sarah's goblin blood.

Peter even beat Osborne on a cellular level. Sarah was fine once more. Peter and I talked. Sarah looked like an adult but she was technically still a kid. Both of us just didn't feel right leaving her on her own. And she was Gwen's child. This fact alone affected Peter more so then he wanted to admit. And that fact alone was affecting me more than I ever wished to admit. Sarah wasn't Peter's biologically, did he wish she was? This young girl, practically a mirror image of Gwen in looks, brought out both my maternal side and jealous side. Why did I still feel like I was competing with a dead friend for my husband's affection? It didn't matter anymore. Sarah was a child who needed a family; she was my friend's child! Pushing these questions aside, Peter and I agreed we would offer Sarah a place with us. Sarah refused, stating that she had to find her brother. With reluctant hearts, we let her go. To this day I wonder about her. I know her part in our own web, but how did her own turn out? I don't know, though I wished I did.

Clones. They really should remain as creepy science fiction or crazy comic book characters. Kaine and Ben wrapped Peter and me up so tightly in their web. First with the who was and who wasn't a clone mishap with Peter and Ben. Then Peter stands trial for Kaine's crimes. Kaine never admits to being a failed clone of Peter's but I really don't see how else his finger prints can be the exact same as Peter's (unless Kaine was his long lost identical twin) if he wasn't a failed clone. And then the whole thing with Ben being the real Peter and Peter being the clone was just an emotional roller coaster for all of us. Strangely though, after the rough beginning, Kaine and Ben became like family. So much so that there was a broken thread in our lives when the Green Goblin murdered him. Kaine would redeem himself eventually. Eventually.

Spiderman would join the Avengers for a little while. I breathed a little easier knowing Peter had other super- powered beings to watch his back. Though I still worried, I felt like I could relax for a bit.

Peter's Aunt May would be killed later by an assassin hired to kill Peter. Too many deaths. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get rid of the guilt Peter would always place on himself. Too much, but we had to stay strong. Our connection, our bond had to be strong enough to survive. It had already been through so much.

We were going to be parents. Peter and I, parents. My mind swirled at the possibilities. Was the child a boy or girl? Would they look more like me or Peter or just the perfect blend of the two of us? Would they be hot tempered and stubborn? Sociable and intelligent? Would they inherit their father's powers? Oh god, I could be a mother of a super-powered child. Being a mother would be hard enough without that. I hadn't really thought about that when I married Peter, but I guess if I really had any problems with it I wouldn't have said yes to his second proposal. Peter and I were going to be parents. Our connection, our bond would be a living, breathing being. It was proof that we had survived despite so much. It was proof that we would continue to survive. Not only survive, but we would thrive.

Our baby girl was born. May Gwendolyn Parker would soon become known as Mayday for her mischievous toddler years. It was when May came into this world I realized I was not the love of Peter's life. It wasn't Gwen Stacy. It was the little infant girl that rested in his arms. That little girl who when eye to eye was a mirror image of her father. To him, May was the part of him who was completely innocent, wild, and free. I could see it in his watery eyes; Peter would do anything to keep May sheltered, safe. As would I, for she was the long lost innocent part of me as well. It was a silent agreement between us: our daughter would not know Spiderman as a parent. She would know her father as Peter Parker, nothing more and nothing less.

I would never hear him call May by her full name though. Truthfully Gwendolyn was my idea in which Peter reluctantly agreed (and only because it would be a middle name). I was honoring my friend's memory as Peter was honoring his aunt's. I understood though. I am surprised he even agreed to the middle name.

Someone would take our precious girl. The Green Goblin behind it all. Peter's cry of grief had to have echoed worldwide. I didn't make a sound. I couldn't do anything. I was beyond grief.

Our girl would come back. Kaine would return our precious baby girl. That final battle would be awful. Peter and Kaine against Osborne. Peter falling, a scream of pain. Kaine telling me to go with May. Worry for Peter, my husband, my daughter's father. We had just gotten her back, please let her still have her father…

A missing leg. Peter said it was a tiny price to pay for the life of his daughter and having a chance for him to be part of it. Well worth it. Spiderman finally went into retirement. I, with my family whole again, could relax. I agreed; Peter's leg was indeed a small price to pay for me to still have my husband and daughter by my side. May was only two; she wouldn't remember this. Spiderman would not be part of her life; Peter however, would be a huge part of her.

I spoke too soon. My advice to parents: Do not to assume anything. Live, learn, and pray to whatever higher deity you believe in for the best. Don't flip out when you discover your teenage daughter developed spider powers and began a career as Spider-Girl. Sure now you're all in trouble, but your darling husband will flip out for you. Take a deep breathe in and play mediator. Someone has to. Smile a little bit as you reflect. Aunt May had to be laughing in her grave now that Peter finally understood how she felt all those years Peter wore the mask. Laugh in your sleep as you hear your barely awake teenager stumble down the hall at five in morning to train with her daddy dearest. Hold tight to Peter, May and later little Benji every chance you get. It'll keep you sane. It did for me at least.

Dreams came. Dreams of strands left unspun somewhere from the unknown beginning of the web. Spiderman is part of the Avengers once more. Peter and I live in Stark's tower. I try on the Iron Man suit. Aunt May is still alive. Our little May was born, kidnapped, and never returned. The gap made when she was kidnapped still hung heavy and stiff in the air…

Dreams shift. I was a godmother. And not just any godmother, but the godmother of Peter's and Gwen's child, Richard. Captain Stacy never died. Gwen never died. Uncle Ben and Aunt May never died. Peter was happy. I should have been happy too. A monster roared in jealously though; somewhere in my dream state I knew that's not what truly happened and I still felt the threads that held Peter and I together unconditional. Though through no fault of Peter's, I felt hurt, betrayed…

Dreams continue. We have a chance to save Aunt May, but at a cost. Peter and I must give up our marriage. We agreed. Young, naive fools we were; we had thought our love was strong enough that we would find each other again. That was our deep bond, our connection. And indeed when I unknowingly help Spiderman in a fight over an overcome, there's a tug of familiarity, of care. The world is spinning…

My name is Mary Jane Watson Parker. The world doesn't know it, but I am the Spider's wife. I have traveled through these webs by my husband's side, carefully keeping a promise that I had made silently to him all those years ago. And I have discovered that no matter how dark and messy these webs get, I wouldn't change a thing. We need the webs to live. They are not just pain and sorrow, but joy and love. They are not just guilt and vengeance, but bravery and forgiveness. They are all together intertwined in these fragile, tangled webs we mortals weave.


End file.
